Series streak on the line and other notes (Rays lineup)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have recorded three straight winning road trips for the first time since April 8-May 19, 2005. However, they will have to take the last two games here against the Rays and three vs. the Red Sox next week at Fenway Park to post a winning record on their fourth consecutive trip. Tall order. The Orioles have lost six games in a row for the first time since Aug. 16-21, 2011. They haven't lost seven straight since July 4-15, 2011, when they dropped nine in a row. A loss today or tomorrow would give their Orioles their fourth straight series loss, which hasn't happened since July 18-Aug. 21, 2011, when they dropped 10 series in a row. The Orioles don't have an extra-base hit in their last two games. The haven't gone three straight without an extra-base hit since July 11-13, 2003. Before last night, the Orioles hadn't been shut out since Aug. 31, 2011 (versus Toronto). The Orioles have scored 14 runs during the current six-game losing streak. They're batting .233 with 14 extra-base hits (eight doubles, a triple and five home runs). And then there's the starting pitching, which has produced a 8.06 ERA in the last five starts over 25 2/3 innings after posting a 4.44 ERA in the previous eight starts. Fortunately for the Orioles, their bullpen leads the majors with a 2.29 ERA, but it's thrown the second-most innings in baseball at 177, trailing only the Royals' 193. Since allowing a first-inning home run to the Yankees' Curtis Granderson on May 1, Brian Matusz is holding left-handed batters to a .105 average (4-for-38) with three singles (Granderson, Luke Scott and Adrian Gonzalez) and a double (Alex Gordon). For the year, lefties are batting .135 (7-for-52) against Matusz. B.J. Upton is 5-for-14 (.357) against Matusz. Ben Zobrist is 4-for-14 with a home run and four RBIs. The Orioles are listing their starters for tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as TBA, TBA, TBA and TBA. Matt Moore starts tomorrow for the Rays, and the Red Sox are sending out Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz for the three-game series at Fenway Park. For the Rays: Carlos Pena 1B B.J. Upton CF Ben Zobrist RF Luke Scott DH Sean Rodriguez 2B Hideki Matsui LF Drew Sutton 3B Jose Lobaton C Elliot Johnson SS Jeremy Hellickson RHP Hellickson is 12-4 with a 3.37 ERA in 26 games, including 22 starts, against the American League East. The division is batting .225 against him.